ostrom



No. 626,087. Patented May 30, I899.

- F. w. osmom.

THREAD CONTROLLER BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed July 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

INVENTOR 11mmmAmnnnmmunnn k lumuwunumuummmm M THE NnRms vanes co.mom-11mm" wAsHmGToN. n c

Patented May 30, I899. F. W. OSTROM. THREAD CONTROLLER FUR BUTTONl-IOLESEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed July 27, 1898.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: by?

No. 626,087. Patented May 30, I899. F. w. USTROM.

THREAD CONTROLLER FUR BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed July 27, 1898,) (No Model.) 4 Sheets$heet 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

m: Nonms PETERS co. PnoYmuTNu, Mswwunw u No. 626,087. Patented May 30,I899.-

F. W. OSTROM.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOB BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed. July 27, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREELAND OSTROM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WVHEELER &WILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

THREAD-CONTROLLER FOR BUTTONHOLE-SEWING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 626,087, dated May 30,1899. Application filed July 27,1898. Serial No. 686,985. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREELAND W. OSTROM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement inThread-Controllers for Buttonhole-Sewing Machines, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to protect the needle-thread from thedescent of the buttonhole-cutter at such time as the cutter isautomatically actuated to cut the buttonholeslit, and thus better toadapt the stitch-forming mechanism to the overseaming of abuttonhole-slit which is automatically cut in the material while thematerial is held in the cloth-holding clamp in stitching position andduring the initial overseaming of the buttonhole.

My invention belongs to that class of sewingmachine devices commonlytermed threadcontrollers.

Thread-controllers which are continuously operative are common tosewing-machines generally, whether employed for straight or fancy sewingor for stitching predetermined figures, as in automaticbuttonhole-overseaming, and the function of such controller is to betteradapt a uniform throw of the sewingmachine take-up to varied lengths ofstitch and thickness of materials.

The time of effective operation of a threadcontroller relatively to theformation of a stitch is the interval between the initial movement ofthe take-up in the direction to supply thread to the needle-eye and thepiercing of the material by the needle-point. At such time the movementof the thread-controller takes up the slack in the needle-thread betweenthe material and needle, effecting a slight tension on the needle-threaduntil the needle-point has entered the material.

In the class of buttonhole-sewing machines herein represented it hasbeen the custom to cut the buttonhole-slit between the lines ofoverseaming just prior to the completion of the overseaming of the lastside of the buttonhole, leaving the material intact or uncut until theoverseaming operation is nearly completed. This manner of overseamingand cutting louttonholes permits the employment of thecontinuously-operative thread-controller common to sewing-machinesgenerally, for the reason that in such instances the overseamingconsists simply in the formation of stitches under the conditions ofordinary seam-sewin g.

In the overseaming of a buttonhole-slit the action of acontinuously-operative controller interferes with the proper alinementof the depth stitches, (the stitches back from the edged stitcl1es,)effecting an overseam-stitch gradually narrowed as the overseamingprogresses from the bar-stitches toward the iniddle of the length of thebuttonhole, and consequently a gradual widening of the stitches as thefeed progresses from the middle to the opposite end of the buttonhole,and for the reason that the action of a continuously-open ativecontroller holds the cut edge of the material inclined to thecloth-plate until the needle-point has penetrated the material, theextent of such movement depending upon the firmness of the material, theresult being a gradual drawing of the plies forming the material to bebuttonholed away from the middle line of the buttonhole-slit and theproducing of imperfect and objectionable work. Moreover, it is essentialthat during the automatic cutting of the buttonhole-slit theneedle-thread shall be controlled so as to prevent its slack fromgetting in the path of the descending cutter.

This invention has for its object the protecting of the needle-threadfrom the danger herein pointed out and to remedy the defect in thealinement of the depth stitches.

I do not mean to say it is detrimental to the overseaming of the twosides of the buttonhole that at any time during the formation of thestitch the edges of the material forming the buttonhole-slit should belifted from the throat or cloth plate, for such a movement is essentialto. the laying of what is termed the purl-stitch on the inner edges ofthe severed material, and such condition exists at the time the take-upis finishing each edge stitch adjacent to the cut portionof the materialand tends to draw the lock or purl to the desired position; but suchtension of the needle-thread is released before the needlepoint in itsdescent reaches the material, permitting the material to drop back uponthe cloth or throat plate so that the needle-point does not pierce thematerial while the latter presents an inclined surface.

For the purpose of this case I have illustrated and described theconstruction and operation of my invention in combination with so muchof the buttonhole feeding and sewing mechanism illustrated and describedin my pending application, Serial No. 639,400, and in connection with somuch of the cutting mechanism shown and described in United StatesPatent No. 581,031, granted April 20, 1807, as is necessary to show anoperative combination, to which application and patent reference will behereinafter made.

In the aceom panying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the severalviews of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is aperspective view looking toward the rear, showing an automaticbuttonhole cutting and sewing machine constructed and combined as shownand described by the reference patent and pe nding application abovereferred to and with my thread-controlling device attached to thecutter-carrying bar. Fig. 2 represents a finished buttonhole. Fig. 3represents a partially-overseamed faulty buttonhole, showing thematerial lifted from the throat-plate by the tension given theneedle-thread due to the action of a continuously-operative controller.Fig. 4 represents a faulty finished buttonhole, showing the variation inthe length of the overseam-stitches due to the tension given theneedle-thread by the action of a controller operative every time theneedle-point enters the material. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partlylike Fig. 1, showing a modification. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of alever to be described. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of suificient of asewing-machine to show the needle-thread in its passage from the spoolto the needle. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the slack or loop ofneedlethread which it is one object of my invention to control. Fig. 9is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing my invention in use.

Referring to Fig. 1, the bed-plate A, the portion 13 of the under memberof the clothclamp, the cross-slide Z), stationary guideway b and theadjustable guideway b for the cloth-clamp slide-frame b theconnectinglink I), the vibrating lever O, with its auxiliary lever c,the vibrating lever stud 0 the gear-wheel d, with its cam-groove (1 thespindle or stud b the slide-bar cl, the shouldered screw (F, the pivotedlever d the roller-screw m, the adjusting-stud d, the le ver (Z thescrew (Z the link'd the springs c c, the screws c 0 the adjlisting-screws c c", antifriction-roller 8, and the adjusting-screws 0 oare in construction and function similar to the parts designated by likecharacters in my application, Serial No. 639,400, above referred to.From a comparison of Fig. 1 with my said application it will be readilyunderstood that the gear-wheel d derives its stepby-step rotary motionin the direction indicated by the arrow 15 through its connection withthe pawl-actuated ratchet-wheel mounted on the spindle b Referring toFig. 1, the cutter-bar rockshaft 1, its crank-arm 2, the cutter-barcollar 3, the cutter-bar 4, excepting as hereinafter explained, and itsattached cutter 5, the hooked collar or depressor 6, fast on theneedie-bar rock-shaft 7, the collar-81, fast on the cutter-barrock-shaft 1, the latch 9, pivoted at 10 to the collar 81, the spring11, the stoppin 12, the spring 13, the spring-collar 14, the collar 15,the stop-finger 16, the spring 17, the lever 18, the pivot-screw 19, thestop-pins 20 and 21, the Hat spring 22, the collar 23, and its pin 24are in their construction and operation similar to the correspondingparts shown and described in said Patent No. 581,031, but otherwisetherein designated.

The stitch-forming mechanism, frame, and overhanging arm herein shownand described are such as are employed in the pending application andUnited States patent herein referred to and comprise the well-known\Vheeler& Wilson D sewing mechanism commonly used in connection withtheir wellknown buttonhole-machines.

The manner of attaching the knife-clamp to the lower end of thecutter-bar, as herein shown and described, differs somewhat from themanner shown and described in United States Patent No. 581,031, in thatan adjustable collar 25 is employed to adjust the clamp vertically withrelation to the cutter-bar; but such change in construction comprises nopart of my present invention.

The throat-plate 26 is of the construction commonly employed inconnection with the well-known Wheeler ((5 Wilson automatic buttonholesewing and cutting machine and its details of construction are set forthin United States Patent No. 367,315, granted July 26, 1887.

From the foregoing it will be understood ICC that to connect operativelythe cutting meehanism shown and described in United States Patent No.581,031 with the cloth-actuating mechanism shown and described in myapplication, Serial No. 639,400, it is necessary to connect operativelythe lever 18 with some part of the cloth-actuating mechanism, so that atthe proper time in the overseaming of the buttonhole the cutter will beautomatically actuated to cut the buttonhole-slit. To accomplish thisresult, a lever 27 is attached to the adjustable way b by a pivotscrew28 and held in the direction indicated by the arrow to by asuitably-coiled spring (not shown) located in the adjustable way I) andencircling the screw 28, positioned to operate in the usual manner. Thelever 27 is constructed with two extending arms, the arm 29 positionedto coact with the lever 18 and an arm 42 extending in the oppositedirection, or nearly so, and under the edge of the gear-wheel d, so thatthe roller-stud 30,

rotating with the gear-Wheel 01, will strike the unexposed arm of thelever 27, causing the arm or extension 29 to act upon the lever 18 andeitect the automatic operation of the cutter in the same manner as ifsaid lever 18 had been actuated by the movement of the cross-slide N, aspointed out in Patent No. 581,031.

Having sufiiciently described the details of construction and operationof the cutting and cloth-feeding mechanisms to show an operativecombination, I will now proceed to describe in detail the constructionand mode of operation of my temporarily-actuated threadcontroller.

As previously stated, a continuously-operative thread-controller isdetrimental to a perfect production; but a controller operatedcoincidently with the descent of the cutter is essential, and toaccomplish this temporary control of the needle-thread sometemporarilyactuated portion of the machine must be employed. It sohappens that in the construction represented herein the verticalmovement of the cutter-bar is, in time and extent o'fmovement, asuitable means to effect the desired control.

It is not my intention to limit my invention to the particular mountingof the thread-controller finger as herein shown and described, since acutter-bar having substantially more or less throw than the cutter-barherein illustrated and described might demand the mounting or connectingof the controller-finger upon or with some other part of theactuatingmechanism.

In one form of my thread-controller, Fig. 1, I employ an adjustablecollar 31, mounted on the cutter-bar 4 and supporting a controllerfinger or wire 32, which in its descent carries the needle-thread 33down below the threadguide 34 sufiiciently to control the slack thread,which otherwise WOllld bQ liable to be severed by the descending cutter.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a controller wire or finger 32, suitably securedto the cutter-bar rocker-shaft 1, which form of construction wouldgreatly increase the extent of movement of the outer or effectiveportion of the finger, and in some constructions of stitchformingmechanism might better accomplish the desired result than the employmentof the cutter-bar.

The thread-guide 34 is constructed with an arm 35, extended upward farenough to permit of the descent of the controller-wire under allconditions of adjustment. The threadguide 34 here shown is ofsubstantially the same construction as that common to the Wheeler &WVilson D sewing-machine, and its form of construction is illustrated inthe United States patent referred to, No. 581,031, Figs. 1 and 2, butnot designated by figure or letter.

In Fig. 7 I have shown the common devices for conducting theneedle-thread under ten.

sion from the spool to the needle and have omitted other parts of themechanism not material to this illustration. D is the spool from whichthe thread passes to the thread-check E, thence to the tension device F,thence to the take-up G, and thence through the threadleaders II to theguide 34 and to the needle. Without my thread-controller aloop of threadK, Fig. 8, would be formed which would be in the path of the descendingcutter; but, as already described, my controller, as shown in Fig. 0,bends the thread and takes up the slack and so prevents the formation ofthe loop K in the path of the descendingcutter, or, in other Words,removes the thread from danger of being severed by the cutter.

1. In a buttonhole sewing .machine, the combination of athread-controller comprisin g a reciprocating finger and suitablethreadguides, a cutter, cutter-actuating mechanism, a cloth-clamp andactuating mechanism therefor, and means interposed between thethreadcontroller finger and thecloth-clamp-actuating mechanism, wherebythe cloth-clamp-actuating mechanism controls the action of thethread-controller finger at proper intervals to take up the slack in theneedle-thread as the cutter descends, substantially as described.-

2. In a buttonhole sewing and cutting machine, a cutter, acutter-actuating mechanism, a thread-controller comprising a recip;

rocating finger and suitable thread-guides, and a depressor operated bythe needle-actuating mechanism, whereby said thread-controller finger isactuated to take up slack in the needle-thread as the cutter descends,in combination With a cloth-feeding clamp and stitch-forming mechanism,substantially as described.

3. In a buttonhole sewing and cuttinginachine,astitch-formingmechanism,feed mechanism, a thread-tension, atake-up, a threadguide, thread-leaders and a reciprocating cutter,combined with a thread-controller finger and means to actuate itcoincidently with the descent of the cutter to bend the needlethread andclear it from the path of the descending cutter, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of July,A. D. 1898.

FREELAND WV. OSTROM.

Witnesses:

B. O. HAMILTON, A. W. DAVENPORT.

